Way to Russia Talk Lounge

bra'tac · Just Starting Joined: 17 Aug 2009 Posts: 1

hey everyone.
i'm a foreign student in russia,this is my first year in studies,and i intend to study 4 extra years,so after 5 years would i be able to aquire russian citienship by naturalization?
by reading the conditions that apply to this option i should be able to get it,but the first condition wich seems explicit :

-the person has been a PERMANENT resident of Russia for not less than 5 years.

assuming that i'll get a renewable temporary student-visa for every year,and so these 5 years would not be permanent,i guess i dont meet with the prior condition!?

thanks for help.

SV1973 · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject:

By `should be a permanent resident`, it is meant `a person holding a permanent residence permit (vid na zhitelstvo)`.
That is something different than visa`s.
So, to answer your question: not possible to be naturalised based on the fact that you have lived here 5 years.
First you have to apply for a temporary residence permit (quite difficult if you are out of the quota), a couple of years later for the permanent residence permit. Then after 5 years for citizenship.
Not that easy as you can see.